Corndog Kickoff benefits state fair museum

Letting loose to gobble down as many corndogs as possible was perfectly acceptable Saturday evening during the Illinois State Fair Museum Foundation’s Corndog Kickoff.

More than 500 patrons beat the sticky heat to enjoy corndogs, barbecue, beer, wine and other treats while bidding on donated auction items in the air-conditioned Orr Building on the Illinois State Fairgrounds.

Foundation co-chair and past president Pam Gray said the event is the biggest fundraiser the foundation does each year, with 100 percent of the profits going toward the museum, which is beneath the north end of the Grandstand. It’s the sixth year the kickoff has been held.

“We raise money through this event to purchase artifacts,” Gray said. “We also sell the official Illinois State Fair souvenirs during the fair.”

She said the fundraiser is critical since the museum has grown “from a 10-by-10 (foot) space to the entire north end of the Grandstand.”

Donations are gladly accepted, like the Illinois State Fair postcard dated 1917 that someone had given to her just after they arrived.

“All of these people are fair lovers,” Gray said. “People come in here in the air conditioning and enjoy an evening of comaraderie and enjoy our auction items.”

She said not only does the event raise money, it’s a good way to get people in the proper mood for fair season.

This year’s fair is Aug. 7-17.

Current foundation president Norm Claussen said the foundation does “better and better every year” in terms of fundraising through the kickoff.

“It keeps growing, it keeps getting bigger,” he said. “And it’s a good opportunity to come out and have a good time, to get a little preview of the state fair. Because everybody loves fair food.”

Foundation treasurer Mark Carnduff said the event last year netted more than $7,700. He said this year he’s hopeful they can top last year’s total.

“It’s pretty nice. You can eat fair food in the air conditioning,” attendee Carol Poe of Sherman said. Her grandson Mason, who was polishing off a fudgecicle, said his favorite part of the event was “eating corndogs on a stick.”

In addition to the event’s namesake food, featured Saturday was Mike Mills of 17th Street BBQ in Murphysboro, who smoked a whole hog and trucked it up to Springfield in his portable barbecue pit. He said he was going to leave the pit in town until the state fair begins on Aug. 7 so he can smoke more meat then.